I thought it was hemp, not guns – Suspected robber claims ignorance

by Temitope Onitiju

An armed robbery suspect, Amos Kwesi, who was arrested by the Lagos state police command, stated that he thought he was smuggling hemp and not guns.

Kwesi, who was nabbed on Thursday, November 27, was found with two revolver pistols with four live cartridges and a bag of Indian hemp, by policemen attached to the Pen Cinema Division during a search on a commercial bus around the Pen Cinema/Agege Roundabout.

The suspect revealed that himself and another member of the gang, Sotin, who evaded arrest, were heading for Mile 2 when he was arrested.

During his confession, he claimed to have no knowledge of the fact that he was carrying guns. He stated that it was after the police discovered the guns that he realised that guns were hidden in the package of hemp given to him to deliver at Mile 2.

He said, “I travelled to Port Harcourt to see some friends. I went with Sotin. On our way back, I was given a package and I was told it contained hemp. I was asked to deliver it to a man in the Mile 2 area of Lagos. I did not know the Port Harcourt boys also hid guns and live cartridges inside the bag.”

“The bag was placed in the boot of the bus I boarded from Port Harcourt to Lagos. If only I knew the content of the bag included guns, I would not have agreed to deliver it. They gave me the man’s phone number adding that he would pay me N50,000. But while heading for Oshodi through Agege, some policemen searched us. Sotin ran away, but the policemen arrested me.”

Speaking further, Kwesi said he was forced to join the gang due to severe financial difficulties.

He said, “I used to work as a generator repairer. I was living fine until some months ago when I ran into financial difficulties. That was how I was introduced to the gang by one Ifeanyi. I knew them as casual friends. I did not know they were robbers.”

The Lagos police spokesperson, DSP Kenneth Nwosu, confirmed the arrest of Kuesi, adding that investigations were ongoing on the matter.

He said, “Policemen on patrol along Iju Road, Agege intercepted the suspect with a bag containing two pistols with 5.56mm live ammunition. The case is under investigation at the Department of Criminal Investigation, Yaba.”

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